Motor-truck.



PATENTED FEB. 7, 1905.

W. 0. BROWN.

MOTOR TRUCK.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 16. 1904.

I 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

No. 781,933. PATENTED FEB. '7, 1905. W. 0. BROWN.

MOTOR TRUCK.

APPLIUATION FILED MAY 16. 1904.

Z SHEBTS-SHEET 2.

IJ'NTTED STATES Patented February 7, 1905.

PATENT OFFICE.

IYILLIAM O. BRO\VN, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO APPLETON J.PATTISON, OF TORONTO, ONTARIO, CANADA.

MOTOR-TRUCK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 781,933, dated February7, 1905.

Application filed May 16, 1904. Serial No. 208,264.

To all whom! if party ('oncm'n:

Be it known that I, \VILLIAM O. Bnowx, a citizen of the United States,residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Motor-'lrucks, of whichthe following is a specification.

The object of this invention is to construct a motor-truck moreespecially adapted for use with cars or vehicles driven byinternal-combustion engines in which it is desirable to transmit varyingdegrees of speed to both axles upon which the truck is mounted. Since itis necessary in using internal-combustion engines to run the engine at asubstantially uniform speed and impart varying degrees of speedtherefrom by means of intermediate gears to both axles, great difficultyhas hitherto been experienced in constructing a truck which would allowfor the swing or movement incidental to the travel of the car and at thesame time provide for the perfect operation of the gears. To overcomethis diiliculty and provide a mounting for the gear-wheels which willallow for sway and vibration is one of the objects of the presentinvention.

A further object of the invention is to so locate the engines that theymay all drive directly onto the power-shaft by providing a mounting towhich the shaft and engines are all secured in fixed relation to oneanother and at the same time so supporting said mounting that theengines will not be subjected to the strain or stress incident to asupport held in unyielding position upon the axles.

The invention consists in the features of construction and combinationof parts hereinafter described and claimed.

In the drawings illustrating the invention, Figure l is a side elevationof the motor-truck; Fig. 2, an end elevation showing one of the axlespartly broken away; Fig. 3, a top or plan view, and Fig. 4 across-sectional view.

The truck is supported on axles A,mounting the wheels 11, and said axlesare rotatably mounted within journal boxes 11', slidably mounted independing yokes (e of the usual character, and the journal-boxes areprovided with pedestals B, to which are secured leafsprings 7), the endsof which are rigidly secured by supporting-rods 1/, which are secured attheir lower ends to longitudinally-extending bars B, to which areattached the yokes before referred to. This arrangement provides aresilient mounting for longitudinally-extending bars, which are intendedto support the operative mechanism of thcpresentinvention. Between thetwo wheels are arranged two frames, each consisting of top cross-railsC, carried by and rigidly mounted on the longittulinally-extending bars,to the end of which rails exterior of the bars B are dependingsupporting rails or bars 0, and the frame in each instance is completedby means of lower cross-rails c, rigidly secured to the depending sidebars. The upper and lower rails project outwardly from the side rails,and to the projected portions of the lower rails are bolted casings D ofinternal-combustion engines, and each casing is provided with endflanges (Z, to which are bolted the engine-cylinders (1, so that each ofthe casings supports,in fact,two inter nail-combustion engines, whichare rigidly carried by the frames, which in turn are supported uponresilieutly-mounted longitudinally-extending bars C, thereby affording aresilient mounting for the engines with respect to the axles of thetruck.

The piston-rods of the engines are all adapted to actuate a centralpower-shaft E, so that four cylinders will operate at different times onthe power-shaft, thereby eliminating the necessity for using a largefly-wheel, thereby depending upon the engines rather than the fly-wheelfor maintaining a momentum. Upon the power-shaft is loosely located amain differential gear e, adapted to be clutched to the shaft to impartvarying degrees of speed by means of any variable-clutch mechanism, (notshown,) the means for controlling the speed of said gear forming no partof the present invention, and said gear meshes with secondarygear-wheels c of lesser diameter, which gearwheels are each carried bysecondary shafts journaled within journal-boxes carried bv bracketsc",de1.)ending from the longitudinallyextendingsupporting-bars, so thatthe support for the engine-shaft and the secondary gearwheel shafts willbe the same and the gearwheels 6 and a will mesh perfectly with oneanother. The secondary shafts are connected, by means of universaljoints f, with tertiary shafts F, which shafts are rotatably mounted injournal-boxesf, carried by sockets f which latter are rigidly secured tothe ournal-box of the adjoining axle by means of a neck f. The oppositesockets are connected by means of a cross rod or bar F, which is looselyinserted into and held within the sockets, allowing a considerableamount of play or vibration to the same. ()u said tertiaryshafts arelocated tertiary gear-wheels G, meshing with gearwheels 9 on the axles,which arrangement causes the tertiary and axle gear-wheels to meshperfectly with one another, since they are supported at all times by thesame support, so that the rise and fall of the frame supporting theengines and connected mechanism will not impair the meshing of thelastmentioned gear-wheels.

At the ends of the upper cross-rails are sockets H, within which aremounted upper studs it, outwardly extending from links it, at the lowerend of which are lower studs if, and said lower studs serve as amounting for the arms located at the end of supporting crossbars I,which arrangementallows the cross-bars a certain amount of side play ormovement which is necessary for the support of the car. The ends of theside bars, as shown by Fig. 1, are connected together by end plates 6,which are bolted or otherwise secured to the crossbars and form, inconnection therewith, a box or frame for the support of the car-bolster.Within the space inclosed by the end plates are located leaf-springs J,carried by means of hangers j, which project over the top edges of thecross-bars, and to said springs is secured a bolster K of any usual andwell-known type, having in its center a pivot is for pivotally mountingthe car thereon. The ends k of the bolster are positioned between theend plates to prevent side movement of the bolster upon the springs, butto allow of this upand-down travel between the end plates the sidemovement being all provided for by means of the links hithertodescribed. In order to take up the side play between the journals of thesecondary and tertiary shafts and also the side motion caused by themovement of the universal joints in the rise and fall of the frame, itis preferable to mount the tertiary shafts to allow for a slidingmovement in the journal.

In operation the power is applied uniformly to the power-shaft by allthe engines, and an equal reduced speed may be imparted from the mainactuating gear-wheel to the secondary gear-wheels, which are held at alltimes in mesh therewith by having the same support. The secondary shaftsimpart power through the universal joints to the tertiary shafts, whichhave a common mounting with the axle-journal boxes, so that the rise andfall of the axles'will not impair the mesh of the axle gear-Wheels andtertiary gear-wheels. The resilient mounting of the engine providesagainst impairment by reason of the jolts or jars incident to travel,and the mounting for the car allows for an up-and-down movement and aswinging movement and at the same time provides a perfect pivotalmounting for allowing the car-trucks to turn when necessary. By the useof a single power-shaft, imparting rotation equally in oppositedirections, the pull of one of the secondary gear-wheels equalizes thatof the other, so that practically all friction is relieved from thepower-shaft.

It will be seen from the foregoing description that the parts are allperfectly mounted and located to cooperate with one another and that aperfect meshing of the proper gearwheels is secured without impairingthe resiliency of the car or engine-mounting.

WVhat I regard as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. A motor-truck mounting two axles, internal-combustion engines securedat the sides of the truck, a single shaft actuated by the engines, and aflexible driving mechanism for each axle actuated by the engine-shaft,substantially as described.

2. In motor-trucks, in combination with a frame, engines rigidly securedthereto, an engine-shaft actuated by the engines, interme diate shaftseach shaft composed of two sec tions jointed together, axles upon whichthe truck rests, substantially as described.

3. In motor-trucks, in combination with axles upon which the framerests, a frame, engines rigidly secured to the frame, an engineshaftactuated by the engines, and intermediate shafts, each shaft composed ofjointed sections one of the sections actuated by the engine-shaft andthe other section adapted to actuate one of the axles, substantially asdescribed.

4:. In motor-trucks, the combination with axles upon which the truckrests, a frame carried by springs supported by the axles,internal-combustion engines rigidly secured at the sides of the frame,an engine-shaft actuated by the engines, and intermediate shafts eachcomposed of two sections jointed together one of the sections of eachintermediate shaft being supported by the frame and the other sectionsupported by the adjoining axle, substantially as described.

5. In motor-trucks, the combination with axles upon which the truckrests, a frame carried by springs supported by the axles,internal-combustion engines rigidly secured at the sides of the frame,an engine-shaft actuated by the engines, intermediate shafts eachcomposed of two sections jointed together one of the sections of eachintermediate shaft being supported by the frame and the other sectionsupported by the adjoining axle, and a loose connection between the twosupports supported by the axles, substantially as described.

6. ln motor-trucks, in combination with axles on which the truck issupported, longitudinally-extending bars provided with yokes betweenwhich the axles are mounted in journal-boxes, a pedestal for eachjournal-box,

springs connecting the pedestals with the longitudinally-extending barsfor resiliently supporting the latter, a cross-frame rigidly mounted onthe longitudinallyextending bars, engines carried by the cross-frame atthe sides of the truck, an engine-shaft actuated by the engines, and aflexible connection between the engine-shaft and the axles for impartingrotation to the latter, substantially as described.

7. in motor-trucks, the combination with axles on which the truck issupported, longitudinally-extending bars provided with yoltes betweenwhich the axles are mounted in journal-boxes, a pedestal for eachjournal-box, springs connecting the pedestals with thelongitudinally-extending bars for resiliently supporting the latter, across frame rigidly mounted on the longitudinally extending bars,engines carried by the cross-frame at the sides of the truck, anengine-shaft actuated by the engines, and intermediate powertransmissionshafts each consisting of two sections jointed together one of thesections actuated by the engine-shaft and the other section adapted toactuate the adjoining axle, substantially as described.

8. 1n motor-trucks, the combination with axles on which the truck issupported, longitudinally-extending bars provided with yokes betweenwhich the axles are mounted in journal-boxes, a pedestal for eachjournal-box, springs connecting the pedestals with thelongitudinally-extending bars for resiliently supporting the latter, across frame rigidly mounted on the longitudinally extending bars,engines carried by the cross-frame at the sides of the truck, anengine-shaft actuated by the engines, intermediate power-transmissionshafts each consisting of two sections jointed together one of thesections actuated by the engine-shaft and the other section adapted toactuate the adjoining axle, a support for one of the sections of eachintermediate shaft said support being h'xedly attached to the adjoiningjournal-boxes, and a support for each of the other sections of theintermediate shafts rigidly secured to the frame, substantially asdescribed.

9. ln motor-trucks, in combination with axles on which the truck issupported, longitudinally-extending bars provided with depending yokes,journal-boxes slidably mounted within the yokes within whichjournalboxes the axles are mounted, a resilient connection between thejournal-boxes and the longitudinally-extending bars, a cross-frame,internal-combustion engines secured to the cross-frame at the sides ofthe truck, a bolster for supporting the car, and a link connectionbetween the frame and the bolster for allowing a side movement to thebolster, substantially as described.

10. In motor-trucks, in combination with axles on which the truck issupported, longitudinally-extending bars provided with depending yokes,journal-boxes slidably mounted within the yokes within whichjournalboxes the axles are mounted, a resilient connection between thejournal-boxes and the longitudinally-extending bars, a cross-frame,internal-combustion engines secured to the cross-frame at the sides ofthe truck, a bolster for supporting the car, links carried by thecross-frame and adapted to swing transversely with respect to the truck,cross-bars supported by the links and a bolster supported by thecross-bars, substantially as described.

11. In motor-trucks, in combination with a frame mounted on axles, acentral powersha'ft carried by the frame, a flexible driving mechanismbetween the power-shaft and each axle, a mounting for each flexibleconnection supported by the adjoining axle, and a loose connectionbetween the two mountings, substantially as described.

\VILLIAM O. BRO\V.N.

\Vitnesses:

SAMUEL \V. BANNING, \VALKER BANNING.

